Another birthday, another year older....

[fajrdrako]

I do love birthdays! In the abstract, they seem to me to celebrate something very fundamental: not just life, but individual life. Celebrating birthdays is a way of telling our families and friends that we are glad they exist.

A lot of people seem to see birthdays as marking the passage of time.... But I see it as more of a triumph over time: after all, every birthday is a sign of survival, another year snatched in the face of time when the odds are so against us, one way or another.

As of today, I am fifty-one. Unimaginable! The number is so abstract: it feels like being 15 still. Always will, I suppose, unless one day I should suddenly grow up.... Heaven forbid.

It was a wonderful day. I got phone calls from Diane, Lillian, Sandi, Beulah, Lyn, Lynne, Lisa, Marcelle, maboroshimaki, Glenn (nicely unexpected, all the way from Edmonton), and Harry, most of whom sang "Happy Birthday" to me. All day at work, Gord whistled the tune whenever he saw me. Even Tom - who professes to be grumpy and generally above such things, mumbled "happy birthday" to me in passing, and Beth, my boss, gave me a bouquet of flowers. I love flowers!

For lunch, I went to the Chinese fast-food place on the market, and got mango bubble tea and pork stew on rice. Heavenly. Way off the ayurvedic diet, but I will start being good again tomorrow. I will. Supper was even better: Marcelle's wonderful spaghetti, followed by mango mousse cake, with little purple signs on top like word balloons saying "happy birthday".

Dinner was sheer fannishness. From lmondegreen, two Smallville novels. A Gandalf card, a Superman pencil holder, and purple fuzzy dice from blackbyrde, who topped everything by writing me a lovely elf-slash story. I wish I could have done like the Hobbits, and given all my friends presents for my birthday.

Then we watched the special details on the Daredevil DVD, like the commentary for the visually impaired - I loved it - so suitable for that movie (because, if anyone doesn't know, the hero is blind). Just the thing for watching while sewing. And then we watched some of the Smallville DVD, and most of the episode "Jitters", including a lot of freeze-framing and slow-motion when Lex and Clark were together, or when Lionel was onscreen - yes, I was the one holding the remote control, I had power to look at Luthors to my heart's content! Hah! Birthday privilege!

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I used to be good at remembering birthdays. Then - through illness and other problems - I became very bad at it for a few years. I'm trying to get back to a place where I can remember and celebrate, even with just a message or a phone call. It's worth it... if I can do it.

Thanks for the birthday wishes!